During the plenary session (24-25 March 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, David SASSOLI, EP President makes an introductory remark at the resumption of session concerning on the 200th anniversary of the Greek revolution and the 1949 Baltic deportations. The statement is followed by a minute of silence. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

EU - Greece (T)

statement

plenary session

minute of silence

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

keynote speech

Introductory remark by David SASSOLI, EP President on the 200th anniversary of the Greek revolution and the 1949 Baltic deportation, followed by a minute of silence

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Dear colleagues, well, tomorrow we'll be commemorating the two hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the independence revolution in Greece. Now the fight for freedom did lead to a pan-European movement and shared values led to the intervention of the U.K., France and Russia.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, And the revolution ended with the creation of a Greek state, an independent state. Since then, it has come a long way. It joined the EU in 1981, and since then it has been at the heart of the European project and we are pleased to be able to say that today.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, However, the 25th of March isn't just a day of freedom. It's also a day of mourning. Today, I would like to pay tribute to the victims of the Soviet deportation.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Thousands of families, a vast majority of women and children from the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, they were deported to Siberia and very few of them managed to to come back home again.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, And it is important to remember them together so that such violations of human rights are never repeated again. Which is why I would like to ask you for a minute's silence.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Thank you.